Decreased expression of Sirt1 contributes to ocular Behcet’s disease progression via Th17 and Th22 response

Background: Previous studies have indicated that Sirtuin 1 (Sirt1) plays an important role in suppressing inflammatory responses in many diseases. However, the Sirt1 levels and role of Sirt1 in ocular Behcet’s disease (OBD) have not been fully elucidated. Objective: To investigate the role of Sirt1 in the pathogenesis of OBD. Methods: Sirt1 and cytokine levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Cell viability was determined using the Cell Counting Kit-8. The frequencies of Th17 and Th22 cells were detected using flow cytometry. Results: We found decreased expression of Sirt1 in CD4+ T cells obtained from patients with active OBD. SRT1720, an agonist of Sirt1, significantly upregulated Sirt1 expression in CD4+ T cells from patients with active OBD. Sirt1 activation by SRT1720 significantly suppressed the production of interleukin (IL)-17 and IL-22 by CD4+ T cells and inhibited the expansion of Th17 and Th22 cells. Conclusion: Our results suggest that decreased Sirt1 expression might be involved in the pathogenesis of OBD and that activation of Sirt1 might be considered a potential target for OBD.